Sheet-metal box



July 15, 1930.

J- M. SHIELDS SHEET METAL 30x Filed June 20. 1929 2 Shuts-Sheet 1 3y 15,1930. J. M. SHIELDS 1,770,534

SHEET METAL BOX Filed June 20, 1929 2 Shuts-Sheet 2 rat/E7250 7M. b 6.

' W y M .fldgya I atented duly l5, I930 JOHN M. SHIELDS, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO I. H. NOBLE & 00., OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 01 ILLINOIS SHEET-METAL Box flriginalapplication filed January 26, 1928, Serial No. 249,537. Divided and thisapplication filed June 20, 1929. Serial No. 372,260.

My invention relates to improvements in jewelry cases and likecontainers and its purpose is to provide an improved case adapted foruse as a container for watches, jewelry, 5 pens and pencils, and variousother articles.

The present application is a division of my pending application forpatent filed January 26, 1928, Serial No. 249,537, and relates to theconstruction of the box therein described. The principal object of theinvention is to provide an improved jewelry case or similar containercomprising a box body member or frame structure which may beconveniently and readily formed at small cost from sheet metal, bystamping and punchin and in which the parts necessary to the ormation ofthe complete box or container may be readily assembled without the useof auxiliary fastening means. A further object of the an invention is toprovide a container for articles such as those mentioned comprising aplurality of parts which may be readily fitted together and which retainthemselves in their proper positions without being rigidly attached tothe frame or box of the container.

Other objects of my invention relating to various features ofconstruction and arrangement of the parts will appear more fullyhereinafter.

The nature of my invention will be understood from the followingspecification taken with the accompanying drawings in which one form ofmy improved jewelry case is illustrated, and a convenient method ofings,

Figure 1 shows a erspective view of the sheet metal blank rom which theframe structure of the box or lower part of the jewelry case is formed;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the sheet metal blank after the firstpunching operation has been performed thereon in the process of makingthe frame structure of the container and after the covering materialforming the exterior finish of the box body has been applied, a portionof this covering material being broken away to show a depression formedin the metal blank to accom- 5 modate the roll of the hinge of the boxyforming the same is described. In the draw-' Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview similar to that of Fig. 2 showing the arrangement of the partsafter the next succeeding punching operation of the covered blank;

Fig. 4. is a perspective View similar to that of Fig. 3 showing therelative arrangement of the parts after a still further punching andbending operation has been performed on the covered sheet metalstructure.

Fig. 5 is a perspectiveview showing the structureillustrated in Fig. 4-.with the cover and hinges of the case applied thereto and with an outerlining applied on the inside of the box;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken at right angles to the axes ofthe hinges illustrated in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view similar to that of Fig. 5 showing thecomplete jewelry case with all of the linings and other interior membersapplied;

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view through the box and cover with thelinings and other interior parts removed, the cover being in closedposition; and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken transversely of thejewelry case with all parts thereof in place and with the cover inclosed position.

First briefly describing the method employed by me in forming my novelbox, more fully set forth in my pending application, it may be explainedthat the frame member of the body portion of the box is formed by firststamping the edges of a rectangular blank of sheet metal 10 downwardlyand outward.- ly, and also forming in the blank depressions aa for-thehinge roll. The blank is then covered (by use'of a suitable adhesive)with the covering material 21 used to give finish to the box, thismaterial extending around the edges of the side flanges 12 and end flanes 13 forming the outer walls of the box ody, which in the presentinstance slope dowlnwardly and outwardly, though obviously any otherdesired contour may be employed. By other operations a portion of thecenter of the blank is removed from the top portion 11 and tongue 17 and18 formed on the blank. The blank is then bent to form downwardly 3extending inner side walls 19 and end walls and inwardly extendinghorizontal flanges 15 and 16 connected to the bottom of the 1nner walls19 and 20, res ectively. The edges of the covering materia 21 within theframe structure are protected by a surrounding lining member 22 which isin the form of a band of relatively stiff fabric or other materialhaving its lower edges resting on the flanges 1B and 16 and having itsupper edges terminating substantially flush with the upper edges 23 ofthe surrounding frame to which the covering 21 has been applied. Theends 22 of the lining member 22 are preferably secured in place by glueor the like.

As shown in Fig. 5, the case also comprises a cover 25 having a top wallmember 25 bounded by an integral surrounding flange 25 which is formedby punching a sheet metal plate to project the surrounding flangestransversely thereto. The top wall 25 may be formed, as shown, with arectangular elevated'portion 25. This cover has a layer ofleather,.,imitati0n leather or other covering material 26 appliedthereto by glue or the like with the edges thereof carried upwardlyinside of the flanges 25". The edges of the flanges 25 are adapted tocoincide with the efges '23 of the lower box framewhen the cover isclosed. The lower frame structure and the cover 25 are secured togetherby hinges 27 and each hinge member is provided with apertures adapted tobe engaged by the tongues 18 formed on the lower frame and by othertongues 28 formed on the cover. The tongues on the cover and frame arebent transversely to hold the hinges firmly in place, the depressionsa-a formed in the box body member to receive the hinge rolls serving topermita close seating of the cover upon the box. Each of the pivotallyconnected hinge members is provided with a notch as shown at 29' to beengaged by a curvedleaf spring 30 having substantially the form of theletter C with the ends thereof hooked about the edges of the hingemembers at the bottoms of the notches 29. These spring members are suchthat they will hold the cover 25 in either an open or closed positionafter the cover is swung beyond an intermediate neutral point. In Fig. 6of the drawings the springs 30 are shown as servin to holdthe cover 25in its open position while in Fig, 8 they are illustrated in position tomaintain the cover closed.

In constructing the box, after the parts have been-formed and assembledin the manner illustrated in Fig. 5, the lining members and ajewelrytrayor'support are put in place.

A strip; o'fjsilk 32jor the like'is arranged over the-hinges and thehinge joint longitudinally of the ex and of sufficient width to overlapthe adjacent bottom flange 15 and also the top wall 25" of the cover. Acover lining m ember33 overlapping the outer side of one edge of thehinge covering 32 is secured by glue or paste to the inside of thecover. This cover lining 33 may. preferably be a sheet of cardboard or arectangular cardboard frame covered with silk or other material similarto that forming the hinge covering 32 and upon engaging paste or gluepreviously applied to the inside of the cover it will be held in placeand will at the same time hold the hinge covering 32 in place byfriction. If the body structure of the cover lining 33 has suflicientstiffness and resiliency it may be caused to retain itself in positionwithout employing anyglue or other fastening means.

'A sheet of cardboard 34 constituting an inner bottom wall is arrangedin the bottom of the lower framestructure with its edges resting on theflanges 15 and 16 and of such a size that it fits closely within theouter lining strip 22. One edge of the cardboard sheet 34 rests on theedge of the hinge covering 32 and holds the lower part thereof in place.\Vithin the container constructed as thus far described, is arranged thejewelry tray or support 35 which is-preferably made up of a sheet metalframe 36 stamped from a sheet metal blank to form downwardly extendingouter flanges 36 and one or more intermediate depressions 37, the singledepression 37 shown in Figs. 7 and 9 being of suitable shape to receivea wrist watch and its connected wrist band. The sheet metal frame 36 ofthe jewelry tray has an outer covering 38 of plush or the like, thelower edges of which are turned upwardly on the insides of the flanges36 and secured in place by a sheet 39 of cardboard or sheet metal. Theplush lining 38 conforms to the contour of the depression 37 which isenlarged at one end as shown in Fig. 7 to receive the watch. Thisjewelry tray preferably has a tab 40 attached to the side thereof sothat it may be pulled upwardly and replaced by another tray having adepression of different conformation to receive another article ofjewelry of different shape. This tray is held in place by gravity and byfrictional contact with the surrounding lining member 22. The openingbetween the surrounding walls formed by the covered flan es 12 and 13 ofthe box beneath the tray is c osed by an outer bottom wall 41 made up ofa sheet 41' of cardboard or sheet .metal having a covering 41" ofleather or the like applied to the lower surface thereof. This outerbottom wall 41 lies immediately below the flanges 15 and 16 of the boxbody,

adjacent the inner wall or cardboard sheet 34 resting on top of suchflanges, and is glued to such 5 eet to secure the parts together andcomplete the box body, the flexibility of the wall members beingsufficient to permit a firm glued connection to be made.

Although one form of the inventon has been shown and described inconnection with one method of forming the improved jewelrv case, it willbe understood that the invention may be embodied in various forms andpracticed in various ways within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A case for jewelry and the like including a lower frame structure ofsheet metal having surrounding outer walls united at their upper edgeswith downwardly extending inner walls provided with inwardly directedflanges, a cover of flexible material applied to sa1d walls, and ajewelry tray supported by said flanges.

2. A case for jewelry and the like including a sheetmetal box framehaving surrounding outer walls of sheet metal united at their upperedges with downwardly extending inner walls having flanges projectinghorizontally from the lower edges thereof, an inner bottom wall withinsaid inner walls resting'on said flanges, and an outer bottom wallwithin said outer walls beneath and adjacent said flanges secured tosaid inner bottom wall.

3. A case for jewelry and the like including a sheet metal box framehaving surrounding outer walls of sheet metal united at theirupperledges with downwardly extending inner walls havin flangesprojecting horizontally from the %ower edges thereof, a tray supportedby said flanges within said inner walls, a bottom wall arranged withinsaid outer walls beneath said flanges and means for securing said bottomwall to said flanges.

4. A case for jewelry and the like compris ing a sheet metal box framehaving continuous downwardly and outwardly flared outer walls united attheir u per edges with downwardly extending vertical inner walls havinghorizontal flanges extending inwardly from their lower edges, and abottom member within the outer walls supported by said flanges.

5. A case for jewelry and the like ineluding a sheet metal box framehaving surrounding outer walls of sheet metal forming a sup-' portingbase and united at their upper edges with downwardly extending innerwalls having inwardly extending horizontal flanges disposed above theplane of the lower edges of the outer walls, and a bottom member withinsaid inner walls secured to'said flanges.

6. A case for jewelry and the like including a sheet metal box framehaving surrounding outer walls of sheet metal forming asupporting baseand united at their upper edges with downwardly extendinginnerwalls'having inwardly extending horizontal flanges disposed abovethe plane of the lower edges of the outer walls, an inner bottom memberabove said flanges and supported thereby,

and an outer bottom member within said.

outer walls below said flanges and secured to said first-mentionedbottom member.

7. A case for jewelry and the like including I a sheet metal box framehaving surrounding outer walls of sheet metal forming a sup

